Argentina declares Iranian charge d'affaires persona non grata — 48 hours to leave over IRGC row

Argentina declared Iran's charge d'affaires Mohsen Soltani Tehrani persona non grata on April 2, 2026 (D34), ordering him to leave the country within 48 hours. Argentine government statement: The decision was made in response to an Iranian foreign ministry statement 'which contained false, offensive, and improper accusations against the Republic of Argentina.' 'These constitute unconstitutional interference in our country's internal affairs and a deliberate misrepresentation of decisions adopted in accordance with international law and national judicial order.' Argentina stressed its 'unbreakable commitment to the memory, justice and fight against terrorism, in complete adherence to international law.' Background: President Javier Milei's government had designated Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization. Iran's foreign ministry responded by strongly condemning the designation as 'an unforgivable offense against the Iranian people' and 'an illegal and unjustified action.' Significance: - Argentina is the first Latin American country to expel an Iranian diplomat during the war - Milei has been among the most vocal foreign leaders in support of Israel - Argentina has significant history with Iranian terrorism (1994 AMIA bombing, which killed 85 people) - The IRGC designation and subsequent expulsion align Argentina with US and EU in the wartime coalition framing - The expulsion isolates Iran diplomatically in Latin America, where most countries have maintained neutral stances Source: Times of Israel April 2 live blog (Argentina government statement, 15:15 UTC).